


The Rat's Nest

by muppet8003



Category: A Plague Tale: Innocence (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Gen, World War I
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-11
Updated: 2019-10-11
Packaged: 2020-12-09 00:02:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,359
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20985473
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/muppet8003/pseuds/muppet8003
Summary: Shortly after arriving on the frontlines, new recruits Arthur and Rodric take part in a risky assault not the Rat's Nest, a heavily fortified German position. Unfortunately, the enemy may be the least of the young soldiers' problems.





	The Rat's Nest

Word War I  
The Western Front, 1917

Rodric and Arthur followed after Sergeant Malfort, the burly man who’d met them after they’d arrived near the front for assignment, the thunder of artillery booming in the near distance. As the young recruits moved through the muddy trenches, they took in their new surroundings and comrades.

Both young recruits had immediately noticed the large, spiked club tucked into the big sergeant’s belt.

Rodric took note of a grim faced soldier, with a pistol, several grenades, and a two knives on his belt, petting a kitten.

A scarred soldier smiled proudly when Arthur noticed the words ‘Waves’ and ‘Kills’ carved into the wall of the trench, with seven and thirty tally marks respectively.

There was graffiti written on the trench walls, such as a cross with the word ‘courage’ under it and the phrase ‘Kill them all!’

As they continued through trenches, Arthur glanced enviously at Rodric, effortlessly carrying his Chauchat. The redhead had tried to handle the light machine gun in training and could barely lift it. He glanced down somewhat bitterly at the thought, stopping short when a large black rat scurrying across the trench floor stopped and glared back up at him.

It had glowing eyes.

“Keep up, recruit!” Sergeant Malfort snapped, prompting Arthur to catch up.

Finally, the pair were ushered into the officers’ bunker. Malfort regarded a man in with a captain’s insignia and said, “Captain de Rune, these are the reinforcements we’ve been sent.”

“What, these boys?” The captain said, looking up at the two recruits. He tiredly sighed, adding. “…I was hoping for at least twenty men.”

“Are we still going through with the attack, captain?” The sergeant asked grimly.

“Yes, Conrad, it’s scheduled for an hour from now. I’ll handle the recruits, you get your men ready.” The big man saw himself out and the captain regarded his new soldiers. “I’m Captain Robert de Rune, your company commander.”

The two recruits reflexively snapped to attention and saluted. Arthur recited “Private Arthur Dupont, sir.”

“Private Rodric Fevre, sir.”

“You two stay close to me, and don’t salute anymore once we leave this bunker, it lets the Germans know whose important.” Robert said after quickly returning the salute. He quickly gathered his weapons and equipment and moved toward the exit, gesturing for the pair to follow. As they reentered the trenches, the captain gave them a knowing looking and commented, “You know, you boys remind me of my son.”

After exchanging a glance with Arthur, Rodric curiously asked, “How olds your son, captain?”

“Five.”

With that, Captain de Rune made his way through the trench network and checked on each platoon in his company. When he was sure his unit was as ready as could be expected, he took up position in one of the frontline trenches. He used a trench periscope to survey the hill across No-Man’s-Land, currently being pummeled by French artillery, that was his unit’s objective. Once he’d gotten a good sense of the situation, Robert turned to the two recruits and said, “Here, take a look.”

Arthur stepped up next to the officer and carefully looked through the gadget. The first thing he noticed was No-Man’s-Land. There were masses of tangled barbed wire on either side with silhouetted bodies dangling from the spiked metal. Between the two armies’ wire was a wide expanse of grey mud dotted with craters. The only other cover came in the form of trees, reduced to little more then sticks, and ruined tanks, armored cars, and trucks, both French and German.

It didn’t look at all like how the recruiting posters portrayed a battlefield.

Beyond No-Man’s-Land, Arthur saw the hill the company was about to assault. It certainly didn’t look like anything special. Through the dust being kicked up, Arthur could vaguely make out the telltale signs of trenches and machine-gun dugouts.

“We call it ‘The Rat’s Nest’.” Robert explained when Arthur allowed Rodric to take his turn. “The whole hill is filled with trenches, bunkers, and tunnels.”

“Oh I get it, like a rat’s nest.” Rodric said, earning a nod from Robert.

The captain, checked his watch and sighed, “We’ve got fifteen minutes, you two best prepare yourselves.”

Time passed very slowly as Rodric and Arthur readied their weapons and discarded equipment the captain assured them wouldn’t be needed. Up and down the trench line, more experienced soldiers also prepared themselves. At last, Robert lightly kissed his wedding ring and drew his revolver.

He stood next to one of the many rickety ladders mounted along the trench wall and began to count down. “Fifteen…fourteen…thirteen…”

Soldiers began wishing one another luck, some made the Sign of the Cross or muttered a final prayer.

“Twelve…eleven…”

Sergeants and lieutenants began queuing up their men to climb up the ladders once the order was given.

“Ten…nine…eight…seven…six…”

Beyond No-Man’s-Land, the thunder of artillery fire began to quiet.

“Five…four…three…two…One, let’s go, boys!” 

Robert was the first man to climb out of the trench and into No-Man’s-Land. The next soldier’s head exploded the moment he peaked up over the trench.

Arthur hesitated as the decapitated corpse dropped at his feet but was shoved from behind by Conrad. “Move, boy!”

Willing his hands not to shake, Arthur ascended the ladder into No-Man’s-Land, spotting his captain conducting the assault from behind a ruined tank. Sprinting toward the officer, Arthur was pelted by mud thrown up by a German mortar and swore he felt the wind from bullets flying by. When he was around halfway to Robert, the red-haired young soldier was thrown off his feet by a mortar shell. Arthur landed unharmed, but a moment later a screaming soldier with no face or arms and only one leg landed beside him.

“Don’t stop!” Someone shouted, “Keep moving!”

Arthur obeyed the command, rising up off the ground and breaking into a sprint. Finally, the recruit slammed into the side of the wrecked tank beside Robert. He was happy to see Rodric join them a moment later. They both looked to their captain, Arthur simply saying. You said to stay close, sir.”

“Indeed,” Robert said approvingly, “Fevre, lay down covering fire while the rest of us advance then follow when we get to the first trench line.”

Without waiting for a response, Robert signaled Arthur and the other three other soldiers ducking behind the tank to advance. One of the men was quickly cut down, but Rodric’s bursts at the nearest German machine-gun managed to keep them suppressed, even cutting two enemy soldiers down.

Arthur did his best to ignore the bodies littering the ground around him, some of whom were still screaming, and focused on the German trench as he followed Robert. He jumped down into the defensive emplacement just as the captain gunned down two German machine gunners. Hearing a war cry, the young soldier turned and reflexively drove his bayonet into a German soldier’s throat. The enemy soldier, not much older then Arthur, dropped to the ground with blood jetting from his wound and mouth.

All around Arthur a brutal, desperate melee was fought with knives, clubs, bayonets, shovels, and rifle butts. Just as Rodric dropped into the trench beside his friend, Arthur noticed a soldier toss a grenade into a bunker, hearing screams from within just before the bomb detonated. 

“We have to keep going, boys.” Robert gently but firmly ordered before calling out to the rest of the company to continue the advance. They were joined by Conrad, his club baring fresh blood, and several other soldiers as they moved deeper into the trench system toward the base of the hill.

The hadn’t gone far when a wounded German limped out of a dugout towards them, one hand in the air, the other on a bleeding wound in his side. He stopped in the center of the trench and called, “Mercy, Kameraden!”

“Oh, I’ll give you mercy,” Conrad grumbled, advancing on the surrendering German.

“Malfort!” Robert shouted, but it was too late.

The large sergeant swung his club on the frightened German, splitting the young man’s head open. Conrad looked down on the young soldier’s body saying “That’s the only mercy you deserve.”

“Malfort!” Robert shouted, grabbing the larger man by the shoulder and aiming his revolver at the sergeant. “You damn animal.”

Conrad batted his commander’s hand off, noticeably tightening his grip on his club and giving Robert a challenging glare.

“Captain! Sergeant!” Rodric shouted.

Both men looked to the young light machine gunner and in turn Arthur and the several other concerned soldiers watching the scene unfold. The captain and sergeant turned back to one another, silently agreeing to a shaky, likely temporary, truce. Robert cleared his throat and, load enough for all present to hear, announced, “Company, advance.”

The French soldiers cautiously advanced in silence for several meters until they came upon a tight turn in the trench. Moving just in front of Robert, Arthur rounded the corner with three other soldiers and froze at the sight of a German machine-gun waiting for the approaching French. The teenage recruit felt himself being grabbed by the collar and yanked back as the Germans opened fire, quickly gunning down two of there other soldiers. The third just had time to turn to flee before he was hit several times in the back, his intestines being blasted out of the large exit wounds in this stomach.

Braced against the wall of the trench, Captain de Rune released Arthur and turned to his other unofficial charge. “Rodric, when I give the word, stick the barrel of your weapon around that corner and empty the magazine toward that machine-gun.” 

“Yes, sir.” Rodric nodded.

Robert holstered his revolver and readied a grenade as Rodric moved into position. The captain took a deep breath and gave the order. “Alright, fire!”

Rodric blind fired down the trench in the general direction of the German machine gun and it’s crew, not hitting any but forcing them to take cover. The moment his weapon ran out of ammo, Robert sprinted past. He pulled the pin from his grenade just as the Germans were looking back up and threw with with all his strength. The captain closed his eyes and silent said goodbye to his family as he awaited the explosion, bullets to rip through him, or both.

When he was still alive after the blast range out, Robert dared to open his eyes. The machine gun’s crew had been killed in the blast. He released a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding and called for his men to follow.

Regrouping in the newly captured support trenches, Robert took stock of the situation and readied his meant o assault the Rat’s Nest itself as the sun began to set. The captain then turned to his two unofficial charges. “You boys alright?”

“I’m fine, captain.” Rodric answered

“Still in one piece, sir.” Arthur assured his officer.

Before Robert could respond, the sound of shouts, gunfire, and explosions range out from up the hill. The surviving French soldiers cautiously braced themselves against the edges of the trenches and looked up toward the hill. However, none of the shots from above seemed to aimed at them. Arthur risked a quick glance up the hill, seeing that the shots seemed to be coming from within the German’s positions. He ducked back into the trench and looked to Robert. “Are there any other French forces involved in this assault, Captain?”

“Not that I’m aware of,” the older man answered. After some hesitation, he called out to remaining troops. “Company, we advancing up the hill as planned. Everyone reload your weapons and move slowly and cautiously.”

Shortly afterward, the company began making their way up the now suspiciously quiet hill. The troops were so focused on keeping an eye out for even the slightest sign of movement, it came as a total surprise when a corporal yelled in surprise as he fell into a small hole. Nearly all the nearby soldiers reflexively turned toward the noise, many raising their weapons, only to see the grizzled man fumbling as he tried to climb back out.

After a beat of total silence, the French troops allowed themselves to relax, a few chuckling at the situation. Two soldiers stepped forward to help their friend climb out of the small pit he’d gotten stuck in, one taking each hand.

Then the corporal started screaming. 

Several more Frenchmen rushed over to help as the frantic man was pulled down into the hole. Finally, the corporal was ripped down out of his comrade’s desperate grips and pulled down into the pit with a long pained shriek. The confused, frightened soldiers back away from the hole that had just consumed their friend, some pointing their weapons down into the dark abyss. 

“Get away from that hole!” Robert ordered, but it was too late. With a cacophony of screeches, hundreds of large rats, their eyes giving off a sickly yellow glow, burst forth form the hole.

The vicious rodents swarmed on the nearest soldiers, covering many of them in seconds. Any men who tried to help their flailing, screaming comrades soon found themselves also being eaten alive. 

“WHAT! THE! FUCK!?” Rodric yelled just before he opened fire on the vicious rodents with his chauchat. The strong young man’s barrage tore several rats apart, but did little to the swarm as a whole. 

“Everyone get the hell out of here!” Robert yelled to his men. The captain turned to head back down the hill, but before he could take a step the ground began to shake. All over the hill, new holes suddenly burst up from the below ground and thousands of rats swarmed out toward the panicked French troops. Desperate, Robert glanced around trying to find any direction the vermin weren’t coming from. Seeing there were no new holes bursting open further up the hill, he yelled out to any living soldier who could hear, “Run, boys! Up the hill! Now!”

Hearing the captain’s possibly final order, Arthur raced up the muddy hill, the sounds of the rat swarm right behind him.

**Author's Note:**

> This is an AU I've wanted to try out for some time now. As a big history geek, I had a lot of fun writing this and thought it'd be a good time to post it, being the Halloween season and all.
> 
> I've always loved horror movies/games/etc. set in war zones, or at least involving the military. To me, it seems like a natural combination since war, by it's very nature, is very horrific. 
> 
> Hope you enjoyed this first chapter, dear reader, and stay stunned for more.


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